Eileen Fulton, the unforgettable soap opera icon who breathed life into one of television’s most legendary characters, passed away on July 14, 2025, in Asheville, North Carolina. She was 91.

Fulton’s name is synonymous with As the World Turns, where she played Lisa Miller for a groundbreaking five decades. Her passing marks the end of a remarkable era in daytime television — a loss felt deeply by generations of fans, fellow actors, and the industry she helped shape.

Born Margaret Elizabeth McLarty on September 13, 1933, in Asheville, Eileen’s path to stardom began modestly. A few minor television and film roles introduced her to the screen, but it was in 1960 that everything changed. Cast as Lisa Miller, a role originally intended to last just a few weeks, Fulton defied expectations — transforming her character into a firecracker of emotion, drama, and complexity that fans couldn’t get enough of.

Lisa wasn’t just a character. She was a cultural phenomenon. Married eight times, widowed four, divorced three, and with one annulment to boot, Lisa’s storyline practically wrote the playbook on soap drama. Audiences loved to hate her, and sometimes just loved her — and it’s that magnetic tension that made Fulton a permanent fixture in daytime history.

So iconic was her portrayal that when Lisa misbehaved on screen, it spilled into real life. Eileen famously received hate mail, was confronted in public, and once had to hire a bodyguard due to fan backlash. When her character’s daughter-in-law suffered a miscarriage in a 1986 episode, the reactions were so intense she needed protection — a testament to just how powerfully she could connect with viewers.

But Eileen Fulton was more than a soap star. She was a stage actress, a novelist, and a woman of tremendous resilience. She only stepped away from As the World Turns a handful of times — including a brief stint in 1963 to juggle Broadway productions, and again in 1983 during a contract dispute. She even landed her own primetime spin-off, Our Private World, in 1965 — one of the earliest such transitions for a soap character.

Her presence on As the World Turns spanned nearly the entire lifespan of the show. From her first appearance in 1960 to the final episode in 2010, Eileen was the pulse of Oakdale — the sly smile, the raised eyebrow, the unforgettable entrance that kept audiences guessing.

Outside of television, she authored two memoirs — How My World Turns and My World Still Turns — along with a series of fictional mystery novels. In 2004, the industry finally honored her with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Daytime Emmys, a moment long overdue for a woman who revolutionized what it meant to be a daytime diva.

Those who knew her remember her not just for her talent, but for her wit, boldness, and ability to light up a room — on and off screen. She was sharp, funny, and unapologetically herself. Just like Lisa.

Eileen Fulton didn’t just play a role — she created a blueprint. Her passing leaves behind an unmatched legacy of passion, trailblazing artistry, and a character whose name remains etched in soap opera legend.

As the lights dim on this final chapter, one thing is certain: the world turned a little brighter with Eileen Fulton in it — and it will never be quite the same without her.